6533b853fe1ef96bd12abfe1

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Child-rearing and child abuse antecedents of criminality

Elina PokelaJaana Haapasalo

subject

Child abusePunishmentChild rearingmedia_common.quotation_subjectVictimologyHuman factors and ergonomicsPoison controlsocial sciencesSuicide preventionPathology and Forensic MedicineDevelopmental psychologyPsychiatry and Mental healthClinical PsychologyInjury preventionPsychologymedia_common

description

A number of studies reviewed here show that those who are exposed to negative child-rearing practices varying from punitive and lax parenting to severe punishment and abuse in childhood tend to be antisocial, aggressive and commit violent crimes later in life. Both the record approach (Widom) studying later outcomes among abused children and the retrospective approach (Lewis) studying violent childhood experiences among offenders provide support for the violence breeds violence hypothesis. It appears clear that punishment in child-rearing increases the risk for maladaptive developmental outcomes but that the mechanism explaining the link between negative parenting and later maladjustment is still an unresolved issue. The review argues that a trauma model is the most interesting theoretical approach in explaining the mechanism.

https://doi.org/10.1016/s1359-1789(97)00027-x